Phaneuf Preseason Hit

The hit is even being advertised on the Flames website as “THE BOOM IS LOWERED” no controversy no word of suspension apparently the Scott Stevens rule exception as been passed down to Phaneuf.

Now, I will say that there is one BIG difference between Downie’s hit and Phaneuf’s. When Phaneuf hit Okposo, Okposo was in possession of the puck. When Downie hit MacAmmond, MacAmmond had since passed the puck and was out of the play.

However, I understand your comparison. Phaneuf hit Okposo high and it looked incredibly dangerous hence Okposo needing be taking off on a stretcher. But, Okposo had his head down. He was looking at the puck and Phaneuf made him pay. Couple that with the fact that Phaneuf is two inches taller than Okposo, Phaneuf’s is gonna be “high.”

I couldn’t really tell from the video if Phaneuf made contact with Okposo’s head or not. Minus the potential “hit to the head” I have no problem with Phaneuf’s hit. This is hockey, by nature it is an incredibly physical game. And that is the way that I want it to remain. You have players like Cindy who fall and cry, get special treatment and ruin the “toughness” aspect of the game for everyone else because now the league has to baby players. I never want to see a player get injured. You play to hurt but never to injure. There is a big difference. Okposo had his head down and Phaneuf caught him good. If we yell and cry about every “big” hit, soon there will no hitting allowed. I want the players to be safe and I am glad that the league makes it a strong point to stress safety for the players but they know what they are signing up for and they wouldn’t play if they didn’t like players being able to check.

I will agree that there is some level of biased against the Flyers that Colin Campbell has but I do not think that this is a good example of that. Go back to the playoffs last year and compare Dan Carcillo’s cheapshot at the end of the Game 1 of the playoff’s to Mike Cammalleri’s almost identical punch on Martin Havlat during last year’s playoffs. Carcillo was suspedned and Cammalleri was not.

Now, if this had of been a Flyers defensemen laying out an opposing forward, would we see a fine, suspension or both? I think there is good chance. I would be pissed because to me, it is a clean hit and I love the physical aspect of the game. I hope Okposo is okay but I am glad that there are players like Phaneif who haven’t become so watered down by our new “no touch” league that they are still willing to “lower the boom.” I am hoping for a bunch of highlight reel hits from Mr Pronger too . . .

Bottom Line he left his feet and made 1st contact with the guys head you don’t get concussions from checks to the chest. If that is the way legal as it was in the playoffs with Kunitz and Cooke running at Kimmo’s head that fine but when I don’t like those hits, the Stevens hits to the head, it clearly is intent to injure. I keep hearing hitting to the head shoulder or not is “something the league wants to cut down on” and this a perfect example of such a play. High hits to the head serve no purpose but to end your opponents season or career a clean BODY check would have accomplished the same thing without the risk of injury. A hit like that is illegal in the NFL where you move 5 times slower and have 2 times the head protection. Did you listen to the comments in the Downie video by the Ottawa announcers every point they make applies the same to the Phaneuf hit.